


The Light of the Sun

by donttouchtheneednoggle



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen, How To Co-parent Your Dragon, Hurt/Comfort, Learning To Say A Not-So-Royal Fuck you To Destiny, M/M, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Post-Episode: s04e12-13 The Sword in the Stone, nonbinary Aithusa RIGHTS
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26662159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donttouchtheneednoggle/pseuds/donttouchtheneednoggle
Summary: One inconvenient door can change a lot.So can one tiny dragon.
Relationships: Aithusa & Gwaine (Merlin), Aithusa & Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 95





	The Light of the Sun

It was strange, he thought dazedly, how one moment could spell the end of everything.

All had been going to plan: they had stormed the castle, Morgana had lost her magic and fled, and he and Gwen had taken off after her. He had rounded the corner to find her advancing on Gwen, whose sword lay out of her reach, a cold cruel smile curving on her face.

He had not hesitated before blasting her backwards, collapsing a section of the corridor as he did so, burying the witch under rubble.

It was then that the moment happened, as the dust settled, and he felt the gold drain from his eyes.

Gwen's head whipped round to stare at him, and a door to his right burst open to reveal Arthur and Gwaine, who was bruised and gaunter than he had ever seen him.

They seemed frozen there for a moment, three pairs of wide eyes fixed on him.

They hadn't seen. They hadn't. _They_ _couldn't_.

The moment broke as a group of warriors came charging through the door behind him yelling at the top of their lungs and the battle began again.

There wasn't any time to process or talk, for there was still an army to defeat, even with Morgana down.

Then there were the dead to bury and the endless wounded to tend to - the responsibility of which fell primarily to Merlin as Gaius was in no condition to do it.

He had not seen Arthur since during the battle, and Gwen was too busy helping the wounded to spare him a glance, or so he hoped.

Gwaine and Elyan had joined in the fight as soon as Leon and Percival had got them out, much to Merlin's displeasure when he finally cornered them with a scowl and demanded he checked them over.

Gwaine was worrying him.

He sat stoically as Merlin tutted over his innumerable cuts and bruises, and wrapped his cracked ribs in stiff bandages, the typical idiotic grin stuck on his face. But his eyes kept flitting to the door to Gaius' chambers as though expecting someone to burst in, and he was unusually quiet.

He smiled sweetly at Merlin and patted his cheek when he thanked him and Elyan for taking care of Gaius while they were in prison, and forbade them from training for a week.

However, his eyes were like steel as he shrugged on his shirt and left without a word.

In other circumstances Merlin would've put it down to the week of injuries and near starvation he had gone through at Morgana's hand, but he wondered.

Had Gwaine seen? Surely, he wouldn't turn him in even if he had, but he couldn't be certain.

Merlin turned round to find Elyan staring at the closed door, brow furrowed in much the same expression as Merlin.

"Something's off with him." The knight declared, frown deepening.

"Suppose you can't blame him," Merlin offered, not about to make his situation any more precarious "The week you've had."

At this Elyan's face crumpled unexpectedly, and he turned his gaze to Merlin, eyes haunted with guilt.

"I'm sorry," he whispered brokenly. "I told Morgana where you and Arthur were headed. You could've been killed and I-"

"You were tortured." Merlin cut him off, eyes drawn to the bandage he had put over the deep wounds in Elyan's neck. "You had no choice, Elyan, no one can resist the Nathair.

"Anyway - we survived, everything's ok." he said softly.

Elyan shook his head vehemently "It doesn't make a difference. Because of me you nearly died."

"Because of you Gaius is alive." Merlin retorted "If you hadn't-" he glanced over to where his mentor was asleep on a bed in the corner and his mouth quirked up in an affectionate smile. "If you'd listened to the stubborn old goat he wouldn't be here. I owe you for that."

Elyan glanced over at Gaius too, and the tormented expression on his face softened a little.

"Maybe. It still doesn't make the guilt any easier."

"I know." Merlin replied softly "You’ve been through hell and I’m sorry. Just know no one blames you, least of all me."

Elyan nodded. "That's just about what Percival said. Gwen too."

Merlin laughed. "Smart people they are. Listen to them."

"Yeah," Elyan nodded, returning the smile. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Merlin grinned, offering Elyan his hand.

When he took it Merlin's lip quivered unexpectedly and he surprised even himself by pulling him into a hug, suddenly overwhelmed by a confusing mess of emotions.

"You all right?" Elyan asked, brow once more furrowed in concern as he let go of him.

"Yeah just... relieved things worked out all right, y'know?"

Elyan smiled and patted his arm, but his friend was still frowning a little as he left and shut the door behind him.

Merlin collapsed against the door as soon as it shut, sinking to the floor where he sat shaking with sudden fear.

He glanced over at Gaius, longing to be able to talk to him, but the old man was still recovering, fast asleep.

He tried to busy himself with tidying, but ended up pacing the floor of his room, unable to settle. Any minute he expected guards to burst in and haul him away, but no one came.

The time seemed to both drag and fly, until it was only an hour to go before he was expected for his evening duties.

He decided he would just show up at Arthur’s chambers as normal; surely, he was just being paranoid, and his comfortable ruse could continue indefinitely-

A loud knocking interrupted his reassuring pep talk.

Crap.

_Oh god oh god oh god_

Trembling, he lurched half blind out of his room and opened the door. A guard stood outside.

“King Arthur requests your presence in the throne room.”

He nodded and stumbled past him, his thoughts twisting around each other as he made his way through the castle.

Throne room, not his chambers. Was he to be put on trial then? But if so, why had he not been arrested?

By the laws of Camelot he was a dead man. The court would have him executed _and then what would happen to Arthur?_

Far too soon, he reached the great doors which were half open. He took a shuddering breath, heart hammering against his ribs, and entered.

Arthur stood not far inside, alone. He was out of his armour, in simple shirt and trousers. The enchanted sword hung loosely from one hand by his side.

Merlin pushed the doors shut behind him, and for a long moment they just stared at each other.

“Arthur-”

“You have magic.” It wasn’t a question.

Merlin considered denying it for a moment, balancing Arthur’s impressionability against the steely distrust in his eyes, before settling on the truth.

It was over. The game was up.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Yes.”

He opened them again to see that the king hadn’t moved.

“Arthur-”

“What are you doing here?” His voice was low and cold.

“Y- you sent for me-”

“Don’t play dumb, you know what I mean," he snarled. “What are you here for? You’re not in league with Morgana, that much is clear, but what’s your game? Were you plotting to overthrow me, gain my trust then betray me when the time came? Huh, Sorcerer?” His eyes widened. “Did you enchant me?”

Merlin felt sick at the suggestion, and even sicker when he remembered that that was precisely what he had done not even a week ago. But not like that. _Not like that._

He stumbled forward, choking back tears. “Arthur- no – I would never - I swear - I only ever used it to protect you - you know I would never harm you - you have my word-”

“YOUR WORD?” Arthur roared, grabbing him by the shoulder and shoving him against the wall, the sword pointed at his neck. “You’ve been lying to me since the day we met, what the hell is your word worth?”

“You would’ve killed me!” Merlin yelled back, defensive with the enchanted sword an inch from his skin. “I wanted to, Arthur, I swear, but I didn’t want you to have to choose between me and your father! I didn’t know what you would’ve done! I had to stay and protect you.”

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. “Protect me?”

“Yes!” Merlin struggled to stand up straight “I swear I’ve only ever used my magic to help you and Camelot!”

Arthur stared at him, shaking his head. “I don’t know that,” he whispered hoarsely, “I can’t know that. All I have is your word. How can I trust you? I don’t even know you, do I?”

“You do, I promise! Please, Arthur!” He had to choke back a sob at the look on Arthur’s face.

It was like an open wound.

It was the expression he’d worn when he’d faced Morgana and it broke Merlin’s heart. To see it directed at him… he had the desperate urge to rush forward and wrap his arms round Arthur - an insane desire considering the sword still levelled at his throat.

He took a deep shuddering breath. “Arthur please. Just – just let me stay. Throw me in the dungeons, I don’t care. Just let me stay.” It did not matter what he did with him, as long as he was still where he could protect him.

Arthur looked back at him, sword lowering, blue eyes filled with tears, and in that moment Merlin knew.

In a thousand other lifetimes, if the last month had not been wracked with betrayal and loss, if Arthur had not lost his kingdom and come face to face with his sister and watched an innocent woman bleed out in front of him, maybe they would’ve been fine.

But not this time.

Something in Arthur’s gaze snapped shut. “Get out.”

“Arthur-“

“Get out of Camelot.” He spoke through gritted teeth. “Leave by sundown and I won’t have guards escort you.”

“Arthur no – please-” He was sobbing now, begging.

He felt the cold point of the sword at his throat again, and Arthur’s breath hissed across his face. “If I ever see you in Camelot again, I swear I will kill you where you stand.”

All at once he let go of him and Merlin dived for the door with a choked sob.

There, he paused, gathered himself, faced him and spoke in a wobbling imitation of his own voice.

“It was all for you, you know. I promise you that. Everything. I never betrayed you, Arthur.”

Then he ran.

He charged through the corridors, down several flights of stairs, up another, before bursting through the door of Gaius’ chambers and running straight into the physician. He promptly collapsed sobbing in his arms.

At first Gaius thought it was simply concern for him (“Merlin I’m fine, I promise!”) but when Merlin simply buried his head in his shoulder and sobbed harder, he got more worried. Eventually he managed to prize him off him and sit him down.

“Merlin, what’s wrong? Tell me.”

“I’ve ruined everything, Gaius,” he choked out. “Arthur knows. He’s- he’s banished me.”

With that Merlin got up and ran into his room, slamming the door behind him.

He leaned against the door for a moment, catching his breath and viciously shoving tears from his face. Then he grabbed his backpack and reached under his bed to pull up the loose floorboard where he kept his most treasured possessions.

First he pulled out a cloak, Pendragon red, that had been Lancelot's. After all that had happened no one had wanted to go near the knight's possessions except Merlin.

There were times when he could not catch his breath, his mind spinning round and round with one imagined horror after another, his heart thudding, every muscle trembling and tensed against danger that did not exist; there were times when he would wake silently screaming from dreams of Arthur bleeding out in his arms, his eyes staring blankly at the sky.

Then, he would wrap the cloak round his shoulders, shaking hands clutching the fabric, the soft material and comforting weight grounding him as Lancelot's quiet presence had always done before he had disappeared through the veil.

He would wait until his heart stopped racing then put the cloak away before the guilt came creeping in, wrenching at the emptiness that the last friend who had truly known him had left.

Now he laid the cloak on his bed and began to pile other items on top of it. There was the beloved spellbook Gaius had given him after the first time he had saved Arthur’s life. He shuddered to think where any of them would be without the wisdom held within its worn pages.

Pressed between the pages of the book was the single purple flower that Gwen had given to him only a week or two after he had arrived in Camelot. They must have picked gardens worth for each other since then, but this one was the first.

On top of the book he placed the wood carving of a dragon his father had made for him, and wrapped the bundle in the cloak. He put it in the backpack and on top of it he packed the purple shirt Arthur had given him, claiming it no longer fitted him, a spare set of clothes and a few neckerchiefs.

He set the pack on his shoulders, cast one last look around the room, then went out into the main chamber again. Gaius was waiting for him with a package of food.

He watched sorrowfully as Merlin took it and added it to his pack, then he stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug.

“I’m sorry, Merlin,” he said sadly.

He shook his head. “It was my fault. I should’ve-“

He broke off, dragging a hand over his face, because he didn’t know what he should’ve. He didn’t even know any more.

“What’s he going to do without me,” he whispered, eyes filling with tears. “What-“ he clamped his mouth shut before a near hysterical sob could escape him.

“He’ll be all right, Merlin” Gaius said soothingly. “He’s got the knights, and me, and I daresay Gwen. Agravaine and Morgana are gone. He’ll be fine.”

“If anything happens to him…” He’d die. He was certain he’d die.

“It won’t.” Gaius said firmly, gathering him into another hug. “Now you need to go.”

...........

He passed Elyan, Percival and Leon - where the hell was Gwaine? Was he really so disgusted by him? He’d at least hoped for a goodbye... - on his way out and could not help but steal a last look at their stricken faces, blank with shock.

Memories of Percival carrying him on his shoulders and Leon ruffling his hair and Elyan's voice rushing to defend him blurred his eyes and he carried on without stopping, unable to speak.

..........

Gwen emerged from her house just as he walked past, and for a moment he thought she was just going to stand there and stare as he had done that awful awful day a month ago - _should've gone with her then_ , he found himself thinking bitterly - but no, she always had been a plenty better person than him.

She came over to him, and just looked at him, arms crossed defensively.

“You saw?” he asked quietly.

She nodded.

“You’re leaving.”

“He doesn’t want me.” He tried to state it baldly, but his voice cracked. “Look, Gwen, I- “

He cut off in surprise as Gwen moved forward and wrapped her arms around him.

“That wasn’t the first time you’ve saved my life, was it,” she whispered. “Or his.”

He hesitated, then shook his head.

“Thank you.”

“What else was I going to do,” Tears began to well in his eyes again at her simple acceptance.

She stepped back and set her hands on his shoulders, her eyes full of anger and sadness. “I could come with you,” she said quietly.

“Gwen!” he exclaimed, shocked. “You’ve only just got back! Besides, you belong here, with Arthur.”

She glared stubbornly but surely he knew it was true. It was why he hadn’t gone with her a month ago – they could not leave him all alone.

“Besides,” he added, doing his best to smile, “You’re going to be queen, right?”

Her mouth twisted. “We’ll see.”

"You will,” he insisted, ignoring the sudden tension – if there was ever anything he was sure of, it was them.

“You're going to be the best, you know," he said softly, and Gwen’s warm smile appeared on her face.

"Thank you Merlin", she said quietly.

He gazed into his friend’s deep brown eyes and it felt like something was tearing inside him. He clutched her hand tight for a moment, desperately.

Then he let go.

"I'm sorry." he whispered.

He turned round and walked off. Then, because he couldn’t fucking leave well enough alone, he said, louder, without turning around:

"Look after him.”

Then he was gone.

..........

Merlin moved quickly through the rest of the lower town, eager not to linger in the now painful memories it held any longer, and was soon in the forest.

He was in such a black mood it took him a while to register the footsteps tramping alongside him.

At first he ignored them: truly he feared no one, and if Morgana were foolish enough to stalk beside him, well she would get what was coming to her. He had rarely felt so merciless towards her, not since he had laid Lancelot to rest.

After a while he stole a glance up and caught a glimpse of a huge, goofy grin and hair that had no damn business being as good as it was.

_Gwaine._

Great.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded at the floor. "You better get back there before Arthur banishes you too."

"Bit late for that," Gwaine replied with an ugly chuckle.

Merlin snuck a second glance and saw a new bruise spreading like a dark stain over his left eye.

"What-"

"Figured I'd give the princess a piece of my mind before I left" he replied with a swagger that did not hide the cold disgust in his eyes.

Merlin gaped at him.

"You did not hit Arthur," he demanded.

"No, I didn't," he agreed sadly, "The guards got to me first, more's the pity.” He spat on the ground. "But I made sure to make my feelings clear."

"Hey, I'm alive aren’t I!" Merlin defended, "I should be hanged."

"You should be back there!" Gwaine’s voice rose. “He didn’t even give you a chance to explain yourself, did he!”

Merlin shook his head, getting angrier too. “I lied to him, I wouldn’t want to be around me either! “

“ _Merlin!_ ” Gwaine had stopped dead and was staring at incredulously at him.

“WHAT?” he yelled back. He really wasn’t in the mood to be treated like he was stupid. “I lied to everyone! He doesn’t want me around anymore! It’s over! Now get lost before Arthur gets the wrong idea!”

He stormed away, jaw set, but halted when he realised the footsteps beside him had stopped.

He turned back around to see Gwaine hadn’t moved.

The knight's jaw worked as he stared determinedly at the ground, hands balled into fists.

It was only then that Merlin noticed the bag slung across the knight’s body. It was the same bag he had arrived in Camelot with those few years ago, and suddenly everything clicked.

“Gwaine,” he said quietly, slowly approaching him. “Were you really going to come with me?”

“Not if you don’t want me too,” he mumbled, still refusing to meet his eyes.

Merlin was utterly wrong footed.

“You would do that?”

Gwaine finally looked at him, and his eyes were watery but fierce. “You think I’d carry on playing soldiers when you were out here alone?”

Merlin felt his eyes pricking with tears for what must’ve been the thousandth time that day, and tried to ignore it.

“You’d really do that,” he muttered, baffled. Suddenly his harsh words of only minutes before came back to him and he recoiled in horror.

He moved towards him and put a tentative hand on his shoulder.

“Gwaine I am so sorry.” he said earnestly. “if you really want to come with me-“ he looked shyly into his eyes “I want that too.”

Gwaine’s grin was like a beam of sunlight. “Good.”

Merlin smiled back and they carried on walking.

“I really am sorry you know. I was being a- a… prat.” He winced at his choice of words.

Gwaine shook his head, grinning. “Aw Merlin, it’s all right,”

He slung an arm round his shoulders and pulled him close to him as they walked, kissing the side of his head. “You could never be that.”

..........

When it got dark they stopped and made camp and ate. Afterwards Merlin sat, staring into the flames and trying to ignore the rising panic inside him as he thought of the great unknown yawning ahead of him. They would go to Ealdor first – he should apologise to his mother for their abrupt departure and the gigantic dragon burning one of the fields – but after that what then? What would become of Arthur?

He was jerked from his rapid spiral by Gwaine, who was sat on the other side of the fire, watching at him.

“Why did you never tell me?”

He’d been expecting it, but he still flinched. He sighed heavily. They might as well get it over with.

“Lots of reasons,” he answered. “I didn’t want to put you in danger. If Arthur found out you knew-“

“I can take care of myself,” Gwaine cut him off, looking hurt. “ _That_ was why you didn’t tell me?”

Merlin fidgeted. “Well… not the only reason…”

Gwaine frowned. “Tell me,”

Merlin took a deep breath. “I couldn’t be sure how you’d react. The very first time I met you you spoke of sorcery with distaste. My whole life has been spent knowing my only choices were to hide or die. I just didn’t know.”

Gwaine looked horrified. “Merlin I- I am so sorry. If I’d known-“

“I know,” Merlin interrupted him, trying to smile reassuringly. “I know now.”

“Besides, I don’t just tell people. The only people I’ve ever told have been like me. If I’d had it my way Gaius would never have found out. Neither would Lancelot.”

“Lancelot knew?” Gwaine demanded, leaning forward, lip curling.

Merlin nodded mutely.

“That-“ Gwaine broke off and made a noise of disgust that went straight through Merlin like a sword.

“No!” he begged him, suddenly shaking, “You don’t know-“

Gwaine scoffed. “I think I know enough!”

”You don’t!” Merlin pleaded. “It wasn’t him who did that, it- that was a shade, he didn’t know what he was doing, I promise! I couldn’t say anything! I only knew because of my magic!”

Gwaine stared at him in shock. “You’re sure?”

Merlin nodded vehemently “On my life.”

Gwaine gave a huff of disbelief, sinking back down. “That’s…”

He stared at the ground. “Yeah.”

“So all this time… he knew about you?”

“Yeah. He... helped me me a lot, covered for me a whole bunch of times,” A small smile crept its way onto his face. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without him.”

 _Died, definitely_ , but that seemed a dramatic thing to say.

“You loved him a lot.” Gwaine said quietly.

Merlin blushed a little. “It wasn’t... like that. We were just friends. He just- I just…” He shrugged helplessly. “With him I wasn’t alone.”

Gwaine’s eyes were soft as he shifted closer to him. “You’re not alone now Merlin, I promise you that.”

The way Gwaine was gazing at him caused a strange jolt in Merlin’s stomach, but before he could react, the knight’s face drained of colour and he inhaled sharply.

“Is it your ribs?” Merlin asked, instantly snapping into physician mode. “Take off your shirt, let me look at them.”

Gwaine gasped melodramatically, clutching at his heart. “Am I being propositioned, Merlin?”

Merlin glowered, trying to keep the fondness out of his expression, and Gwaine stopped deflecting and did as he was told.

“Do they hurt?” he asked anxiously as he unwrapped the bandages to reveal an impressive array of bruising.

Gwaine grimaced.

“Yours would too if they were black and blue” he grumbled through gritted teeth.

“I told you to take it easy! And what’s the first thing you do? Go try and pick a fight with Arthur!” Merlin complained. “You’re lucky they’re just cracked, if they were broken they could’ve pierced a lung by now, knowing you!”

“Well I’m sorry!” Gwaine snapped “Next time I won’t bother defending you, I’ll just let you go your own sorry way!”

This angry outburst was so unlike Gwaine that Merlin forgot to snark back at him and instead just stared at him. Gwaine was avoiding his gaze again.

“I’m sorry,” Merlin said cautiously.

He seemed to be saying that a lot today.

“Are you… ok?” He ventured. “I know Morgana put you through a lot.”

Gwaine shook his head, with a grim smile. “I’ll be fine, I’ve had plenty worse. I’m sorry.” A shadow of guilt crossed his face “I just hope Elyan will be ok”

“He’s got Percival, he’ll be all right.” Merlin tried to reassure him.

He knew how protective the two of them were of each other, despite their constant bickering.

“And you- you’ve got me,” he said stoutly.

Gwaine smiled a little, affection tugging at the corners of his tight lips “Do I now.”

Merlin regarded him carefully for a moment, taking in the jagged cut across the bridge of his nose, the one that sliced through his eyebrow, the new purple bruise over his eye that sent a fresh wave of guilt through him.

He slowly reached towards his face.

“May I?”

Gwaine frowned curiously and nodded.

Merlin laid on hand on his cheek and the other on his side, over the worst of the bruising.

“I’m not very good at this,” he confessed, heart pounding with nerves.

He hadn’t done magic in front of anyone but Gaius for a long time, and it felt wrong.

“ _Purhaele dolgbenn_ ”

His hands tingled with sudden warmth and he smiled in satisfaction as the bruising faded about halfway and the cuts sealed themselves up.

He heard Gwaine gasp and looked up sharply, searching for signs of pain but the knight was gazing wide eyed at him.

“Your eyes,” he said wonderingly.

Merlin blushed and ducked his head self-consciously. “That’s all I can do, I’m afraid.”

“You’re kidding right?” That incredulity was back on his face, but he was grinning now. “That was amazing! It doesn’t even hurt anymore!”

Merlin shrugged bashfully. “Healing spells are… difficult. Sometimes they don’t work at all.”

He shuddered as he remembered the time in the Valley of the Fallen Kings when he had been powerless to save Arthur.

Arthur...

His heart began to thud faster and faster as he remembered the metallic slick of blood over his chainmail, the ashen colour of his face.

_Arthur._

What was he _doing_ here, he needed to get back to him, what if something had already happened-

“Merlin?” Gwaine was gripping his shoulder, staring concernedly at him.

“I-“ he looked frantically about him, before being drawn to Gwaine’s eyes. Something about their steady, deep brown calmed him a little and he clung to his arm.

“What am I going to do Gwaine? What’s he going to do? Oh God, I shouldn’t have left… maybe I can find some way to disguise myself-“

“Merlin you are _not_ going back.” Gwaine said fiercely. “It’s far too dangerous. As for what he’ll do…” His expression hardened. “Not our concern.”

“But-“

“Merlin.” Gwaine cut him off, sliding an arm round him. “He’ll be all right. He’s got the knights, they won’t see him harmed.”

Merlin shook his head vehemently. “You don’t understand. All this time I’ve been protecting him. It’s what I _do”_

Gwaine sighed. “Yes, I was afraid of that,” A sparkle appeared in his eyes. “A few too many convenient falling branches, now I think about it.”

His voice turned serious again. “But you’re not around to do that anymore, and that’s his fault. He’s in a much better position now though, with Agravaine gone and Morgana…” he trailed off.

Merlin’s eyes moved to the now-mostly-healed cuts on Gwaine’s face, and he was struck by an idea.

“We could find her.”

“What?”

“We could find Morgana. That way I’d still be protecting him. Besides-“ his face set. “It’s time I finished this.”

Gwaine looked doubtful, but he studied him carefully for a moment, then nodded, expression fierce.

“Ok.”

”I was thinking of going to Ealdor first though,” he continued, “I did sort of… make a dragon burn down one of their fields, I should probably apologize”

A smile quirked the corners of Gwaine’s mouth. “Would that by any chance be the dragon Arthur was always bragging about slaying?”

Merlin nodded silently and Gwaine gave a great guffaw of laughter which Merlin could not help but join in.

“How’d you manage that?”

He grinned sheepishly. “I’m… sort of.. a Dragonlord.”

“Whoah.”

The awe on Gwaine’s face made him blush again.

“I thought there were none left?”

I’m the last.” he said quietly. “My father was one, you see.”

Gwaine’s eyes widened in understanding. “I’m sorry.”

He shrugged, smiling a little “S’all right,” he said quietly.

“So you’re all that’s left?” Gwaine murmured wonderingly “One Dragonlord and one dragon.”

“Well not just one-“ Merlin started to say, then cut himself off, suddenly hit with memories of tiny wings and bright eyes glinting in the moonlight.

Aithusa…

He had not heard from them since he had let that clearing, and a sudden wave of shame overcame him when he realised how little he had thought of them in the intervening months.

He was pulled from his ruminations by Gwaine, who suddenly seemed to realise something and lit up in an ominous way. “Wait, does this mean I get to meet your mother? Cool!”

Already picturing the embarrassment that lay ahead, Merlin groaned. She was going to _love_ him.

……

Later, when Gwaine was sprawled out snoring by the dwindling embers of the fire, Merlin snuck away, headed for a clearing nearby. He threw his head back and called out to the starlit sky.

“ _Drakon_ …”

He did not roar the ancient words: instinct made them softer, almost like a song. A moment passed, then another, then came the beating of wings.

A joyful smile spread over his face as Aithusa landed in front of him.

When the baby had hatched, he had decided he would let them make their own way as much possible. He'd be lying if he said he didn’t get a kick out of ruining Kilgharrah's day by summoning him just to ignore his ridiculously vague advice, but Aithusa was different. He wanted to restrict the little dragon’s free will as little as possible.

However, looking into their goggly blue eyes, he was once again ashamed that he had not checked up on them sooner.

They were twice the size they had been when they hatched, and their wings had lost their filmy look.

"Hey, Aithusa,” he whispered, reaching out a hand "Remember me?"  
  
The dragon cocked their head in one side for a moment, considering. Then without warning they launched themself at him with a high pitched squeal.

Merlin staggered backwards, laughing. "Hey you!" he chuckled.

He wrapped his arms round the dragon and looked down into their little face. They almost seemed to be smiling and he wondered why. If there was one emotion he could recognise in a dragon, it was smugness.

"You look pleased with yourself!" he remarked.

A string of certainly not child appropriate curses suddenly broke through the night air.

He spun round to find Gwaine behind him. A yawn was frozen on his face and his jaw dropped open further. Merlin grinned at his shocked expression.

_"There’s another one?"._

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos appreciated :)
> 
> Come hang out on [tumblr](https://donttouchtheneednoggle.tumblr.com/)!


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